County residents: Don't forget the heat-coping strategies that worked for you this week, because you'll probably need them again early next week.

The summer's first regional heat wave will probably take a breather today and tomorrow. Temperatures are forecast to dip slightly, although some inland valleys could still hit 100 degrees today.

Then another round of sizzle is predicted to arrive Tuesday.

By Friday, the start of Labor Day weekend, temperatures should settle on the cool side: highs in the mid-70s for the coast and upper 80s for the inland foothills.

“We're on a little roller-coaster ride,” said Stan Wasowski, a forecaster for the National Weather Service.

Readings of 100 degrees were common yesterday in the inland valleys. Lindbergh Field, San Diego's official weather station, reached 91 degrees, breaking the Aug. 28 record of 90 set in 1983. Chula Vista and Vista also set records, while the Wild Animal Park tied its record for the date.

Borrego Springs hit 118, its highest temperature this year.

From cactus terrain to oceanfront territory, people found ways to handle the searing conditions.

In fact, the heat can be a bonus for pedicab drivers in downtown San Diego. Business is up slightly, said David Gunn, a dispatcher and general manager of Ballpark Pedicabs. Out-of-town visitors don't expect San Diego to be this warm, he said.

“They're a little more prone to tip higher and stay on the bikes longer,” Gunn said.

As his crew members have tried to pedal their way to better earnings this week, Gunn has been reminding them to stay hydrated.

“We tell our drivers to drink enough so they have to go to the bathroom every hour,” he said. “We want them to be aware of the possible risks.”

Bill Tall, owner of City Farmers Nursery in City Heights, said scorchers take a small toll on both his business and the handful of workers at his 1½-acre operation.

“Business slows down,” Tall said. “Nobody wants to be out gardening when it's hot, and our employees definitely don't like being out in the heat. They say, ‘God it's hot.’ I say, ‘It could be hotter.’ I try to keep positive.”

Tall has developed long-term strategies for handling heat waves and the water-use reductions mandated in response to California's prolonged drought.

He reduced his stock by up to 40 percent this year and eliminated all automatic sprinklers on his farm. He waters some plants only when they show signs of wilting and has moved smaller plants into the shade of larger varieties.

Tall also fills his fish ponds with water captured from winter rains and storm runoff, then recycles some of that water for hydroponic gardening.

In Borrego Springs, resident Sid Engel has learned to stay indoors from about 8 a.m. until the sun sinks behind the mountains to the west around 7 p.m. He said the heat has an upside.

“It's very, very quiet,” Engel said. “That's the best part about this time of year. There's no traffic and no pollution.”

The air in the desert has been very dry. Engel said that makes 114 degrees — the reading at his house around noon yesterday — bearable.

“I would rather have 114 with low humidity than 95 with high humidity,” he said. “We had a day a while back when it was 97, but the air was so dense you could hardly see the mountains. That was unbearable.”

At the Wild Animal Park, near Escondido, the thermometer climbed to 110 degrees Thursday and 105 yesterday. But four-legged animals were unperturbed, and many two-legged visitors managed just fine by avoiding the afternoon glare.

“We're very fortunate. The animals don't need a lot of special care and attention during this kind of heat. They usually take care of themselves,” said spokeswoman Jenny Mehlow of the San Diego Zoo, which runs the park.

Most of the animals are native to areas that get just as hot, she said, adding that people should try to spot them in the shade.

Attendance at the park hasn't dropped during the hot spell, Mehlow said without giving numbers, but visitors have been like the animals — more active in the morning and evenings. The park has installed misters and fans in various spots to keep guests cool.

“This happens every year,” Mehlow said. “We've built for the hottest days of the summer.”

The county's seaside cities didn't reach the century mark yesterday, but Encinitas notched 93 degrees. The crowds at Moonlight Beach haven't been unusually large this week because many local schools began classes just as the heat wave arrived, lifeguard supervisor Robert Veria said.

He expects plenty of beach-goers over the weekend as families look for a place to cool off.

“It's the shortest distance for people who live in places like Escondido to go to escape the heat,” Veria said.